Curbing the Influence of “Bad Actors” in International Migration debt

The Transatlantic Council on Migration convened to explore how governments can meaningfully address the powerful market for illegal entry and employment that exists on both sides of the Atlantic, outlining a strategic approach to identify the tools and strengthen the political will necessary to tackle some of the factors—and the migration “bad actors”—that fuel these patterns. This Council Statement assesses the continuum of policies needed to disrupt not only the most obvious patterns of illegal activity, but the underlying conditions that make it possible (and profitable). Governments can neither eradicate all illegal activity, nor can they make borders fully secure. Instead, they must constantly weigh the costs, benefits, and sometimes perverse consequences of deploying resources in one area versus another in order to maximize impact while recognizing the limits of both human and financial capital available for this effort.